The more things change, the more they remain... insane.
Posted on 02/15/2008 5:06:46 AM PST by jdm
One of the most influential superdelegates in the Democratic Party has indicated he will likely vote for Barack Obama -- even though he endorsed Hillary Clinton four months ago. Rep. John Lewis of Georgia began his career marching for civil rights in Georgia, and now he says that he has to represent his Georgia constituents rather than his personal feelings at the convention. Note, however, some of the rationalizations he offers for his change of heart:
Representative John Lewis, an elder statesman from the civil rights era and one of Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton’s most prominent black supporters, said Thursday night that he planned to cast his vote as a superdelegate for Senator Barack Obama in hopes of preventing a fight at the Democratic convention.
“In recent days, there is a sense of movement and a sense of spirit,” said Mr. Lewis, a Georgia Democrat who endorsed Mrs. Clinton last fall. “Something is happening in America, and people are prepared and ready to make that great leap.”
Mr. Lewis, who carries great influence among other members of Congress, disclosed his decision in an interview in which he said that as a superdelegate he could “never, ever do anything to reverse the action” of the voters of his district, who overwhelmingly supported Mr. Obama.
“I’ve been very impressed with the campaign of Senator Obama,” Mr. Lewis said. “He’s getting better and better every single day.”
I admire Lewis as one of the people who fought for the civil rights that should have been automatically afforded him as an American, at great personal risk to himself and his family. While I don't agree with him on much politically, he has earned a great deal of deserved respect. Still, one has to wonder why Lewis waited to consider endorsing Obama until a lot of other people decided that Obama could be a mainstream candidate first. Why endorse Clinton at all? Why not just wait and see, if that was Lewis' main concern?
Hillary has reason to worry now about her standing with other superdelegates, especially in the Congressional Black Caucus. Others who had pledged their support have begun to waver, and with Lewis apparently jumping ship or at least publicly considering it, they may well follow his lead. She will have to show some dramatic improvement at the polls to head off a parade of superdelegates opting out from her column and marching to Obama's.
All of this will completely undermine the superdelegate mechanism, of course, although this primary campaign probably sounded its death knell. None of them want to be seen as members of a star chamber that selects the nominee, but that's the position in which the DNC has put them. If the superdelegates wind up reiterating the popular vote of their constituencies, there's really no reason for them to exist at all. Their purpose was to be a safety valve to keep an unelectable candidate from grabbing the top spot on the ticket, but instead they've made it clear that the popular vote won't really make the decision when two equally popular candidates compete for the nomination.
Hillary will have to come into Denver within a few delegates of Obama to get the nod. And she still might do it. Wisconsin, Texas, and Ohio will be critical to determine the direction of the campaign. She could reverse the superdelegate exodus that appears ready to break with a few big wins.
How you gonna keep ‘em on the plantation, Billary?
How long until he gets a visit from Chelsea?
They’re all FLIP FLOPPERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
If she wins Ohio and Texas he can always go back.
What is more amazing to me is that John Lewis keeps getting elected to the House.....looking at his voting record and ridiculous public statements, it appears to me that he has a room temperature IQ at best......
Note to Hillary staffers: Hide the ashtrays.....
ROTFLOL. This guy can’t even make his own mind up and stick to it. “No her; No him”, “No her; No him”.
Ah, whichever way the fame and money are currently flowing will be where most of them are anyway.
Don’t these people ever feel ashamed; atleast very least of how stupid they look?
Pledged Delegates
CNN
2-12-08FoxNews
2-14-08Republicans 1,191
McCain 827 843 825 Romney 286 288 291 Huckabee 217 242 240 Paul 16 14 14 Democrats 2,025
Clinton 1,211 1,220 1,237 Obama 1,253* 1,275 1,289 *Obama lost 3 from earlier CNN tally
All are equal. Well, sort of.
All may be equal, but some are more equal than others.
Both the Dems and the GOP use 'extra' delegates. Most of these 'extra' delegates are not elected by the general membership of the party. Instead, they are appointed by other special party leaders and elites. The Party really doesn't trust the general membership to do the right thing and select the Party's preferred nominee.
So, both poltical parties have a bunch of 'extra' delegates. The Dems call theirs Superdelegates, and they own nearly 27% of the total delegate count. The GOP calls theirs 'uncommitted' delegates. The GOP is a bit more equal because their uncommitted own only about 19.5% of the total delegate count.
Either way, those extra delegates are more special than the ordinary primary voters; they get two votes. They get to cast their regular citizen vote for their desired candidate, and then they get to cast an extra vote at the convention for their special candidate.
Where did these special voters come from? Most are from the ranks of the elite within each political party -- the leadership, the state chairpersons, the special people.
Yea! this is the dufus that stated there were like 80 million slaves tossed over board between here and Africa, so many that the sharks are still in a holding pattern waiting for them to return. Never mind that that figure was more than the population of Africa at the time.
Two commies in a pod doing the “Womb from the Tomb,” hustle.(IMPO)
Respectfully,
NSNR
Lewis is not as dumb as he sounds. He has a speech impediment that is said to have resulted from being clubbed on the head during a civil rights march.
He is a cagey old pol and survivor who has outlasted many a corrupt Atlanta administration.
That was before his district went overwhelmingly for Obama. One can hardly criticize him for deciding that he needed to represent the will of his constituents. That’s one of the reasons why I think the bulk of the supers will wind up in the Obama camp.
My mistake , I remember now,Thanks.
LOL!!! These primaries are actually starting to pep me up a bit.
When the bald headed one (who marched with MLK) signs on during Black History month,the trouble is beginning.
Every word he utters is a slur
Out of the big house, back to the fields. Still a slave.
You are right. Lewis cannot easily ignore the vote of his district. For the same reason, Rep. Bobby Scott (I think his name is Bobby) changed his pledge from Clinton to Obama. You really can’t blame representatives for wanting to reflect the will of their constituents. I’m sad that many FReepers aren’t recognising this reality-but focusing rather on Obama being black as the reason.
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